#saying it's all meaningless and fake does

[bilesproblems]

My biggest problem as an mspec lesbian is being in inclus spaces and seeing "labels don't have meaning" or "gender is fake" yes the fuck they do and no the fuck it isn't.

If labels meant nothing, no one would use them. Saying labels mean nothing is invalidating to mspec lesbians and lesboys because our use of the lesbian label isn't "lol it means nothing anyway." Lesbian means something and that meaning means something to us. Just because our relationships with the label and the ways we use them are complicated doesn't mean it means nothing. Just because an increased understanding of gender and orientation can allow labels to encompass different experiences doesn't mean they mean nothing. If they meant nothing we would just avoid the drama and not identify this way.

If gender is fake I wouldn't feel it so strongly. "Social construct" has never meant fake, never meant it can't exist in your brain. We're social animals, and social constructs can greatly impact our brain. Saying gender isn't real invalidates everyone that isn't agender, genderless, gendervoid, or cassgender. Gender is complicated but it's real. (ETA: I found this post again. As an anon pointed out, it also invalidates genderless people who consider not having a gender, refusing to be gendered, or refusing to care about their gender to be important parts of their identity by taking away the thing that makes their identity unique in the first place.)

Just because something is complicated and isn't perfectly linear doesn't mean it's right to say it means nothing. That's not a justification, if it meant nothing we wouldn't need to defend our labels, it just invalidates people. Stop.

[kurp-stuff]

Well the french in the last episode of iwtv was certainly something

[lovebugism]

Play wrestling with bff Steve and getting giggly when he just straight up manhandles you 😭😭😭

✶ ┄ SORE LOSER !

summary: steve harrington doesn't like to let you win until he realizes how good it feels to lose. pairing: best friend!steve harrington / f!reader word count: 1.6k warnings: a lil bit suggestive towards the end, but nothing crazy a/n: i got super carried away with this lol i kinda just took this request and ran with it and well... here we are :) enjoy!

Steve never lets you win. 

He thinks it’s letting you off too easy.

The boy’s competitive to a fault. He can’t stomach a loss, even if it’s in something as meaningless as a carnival game you only wanted to play for the giant dinosaur plushie that’s half the size of you. 

He always ends up giving it to you when he inevitably wins, wearing a big smug smile on his pretty, pink lips. You take it from him with a pout. The childlike scowl is quelled only by the funnel cake he buys you after.

It doesn’t matter what it is — a game of monopoly, trivia questions on the ends of popsicle sticks, taking in the groceries — Steve finds a way to make all of it competitive. He wants to have the most fake money and little fake properties, he wants to shout the answer before anyone else can, he wants to carry more heavy plastic bags than everyone else. Just to say that he did it.

If you put this much effort into school, you’d be in college right now, Harrington, you’d tease.

Not my fault you’re a sore loser, he’d retort. I’ll let you win the next one, sunshine. Promise.

He never does.

You and Steve play-wrestle like a couple of kids. It usually comes out of nowhere. You’ll make fun of him, he’ll shove at you, and you’ll shove back harder. Then it just turns into a game of who’s stronger than who — and it’s always him. Obviously. 

You try your hardest to prove your strength, pushing at him with nimble fists and wriggling something fierce in his hold, but you come out red-faced with a participation ribbon laced within his taunts. And even though he’s got several inches on you and quite a bit more muscle, he never lets you win. Ever.

He manhandles you, perhaps a little too rough at times, but it wasn’t like he had to be kind to you. You weren’t dating or anything, you were best friends — this is what a couple of pals do, right?

They play fight on the carpet of the other’s movie room after being told their closest confidant would murder them in a game of fuck, marry, kill between Anthony Michael Hall and Robert Downey Jr. with zero hesitation.

Friends totally force the other onto the ground by grabbing at the bottoms of their thighs before kneeling over them, wrenching their wrists in their grip and pressing their hands to the ground on either their head.

It’s the definition of being best buds. Truly.

For the first time, you manage to get the better of him. You’re pressed beneath his weight, breathing heavy and rapidly tiring, and you wave the white flag of surrender.

Just when Steve's letting you up and swiping a hand through his mussed hair, you force him onto his back and straddle his waist — like he always did to you — and giggle with mirth at the idea of finally beating him.

He doesn’t find a similar enthusiasm in it, though. His tune changes almost immediately.

You beam down at him, the words of a taunt on the tip of your tongue, and you notice how his cheeks flare pink. His honey-colored eyes widen and his mouth falls softly agape. He glows red in embarrassment and you think he’s just upset that he lost, but he sounds like he’s panicking. The words rush out of his mouth — “Alright, shit, fine— you win, sunshine. Get off, alright? Off, off, off.” 

His hand swats at the side of your knee to hurry you off him.

“Alright, jeez!” you concede with the roll of your eyes, halfway annoyed that he just can’t let you win anything. “You don’t have to be such a sore loser about it, Harrington—”

You understand his haste in that moment, when you feel him brush your inner thigh. Like, all of him — as in, the boner trapped in the sweatpants he’s wearing, all rock hard and raging in its cotton confines.

Suddenly, you’re just as bashful and panicked as he is. 

Your eyes lock at the rock hard realization but neither of you can think of anything to say.

Do you apologize? Do you act like you didn’t feel anything? Do you trust your voice to make a stupid joke so you can move on and forget any of this ever happened? You’re not quite sure.

And in the five-second silence, Steve just wants to die. Internally, he’s praying for a strike of lightning to take him out on the spot because he’s never been more embarrassed in his life.

He’s certain that he’s grossed you out, or worse, made you irreversibly uncomfortable.

In the mess of thoughts running through his head, he tries to rush out some apology that might soothe the awkward air. Your laughter does all the work for him before he can.

It bubbles like sunshine from your mouth, filling the silence and allowing Steve to breathe again. He finds himself chuckling under his breath with you, though he’s still red-faced about it.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Keep laughing, sunshine,” he chides with the roll of his eyes, though a smile hints at the edges of his mouth. He rises on his elbows to look at you. “What was I supposed to do? Your tits were in my face and your ass was on my dick— sorry for being human!”

“Sorry, alright? I’m sorry,” you manage through hearty giggles. You settle finally at his side and look over at him, still grinning. “Want me to leave so you can… take care of it or whatever?”

He knows you’re joking but he shakes his head anyway. “Nah, it’ll go away. Let’s just… finish this stupid movie.”

“Stupid movie? You picked it!”

“Yeah, so I could see Kelly Lebrock in a bikini!” he argues back, more thankful for the familiar bickering than he ever thought he’d be. “But you made me miss it!”

“It’s not my fault you can’t keep your hands to yourself.”

“Watch it, sunshine,” he grumbles, half-heatedly. “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”

“I think you’re the one who needs to worry about finishing, Harrington,” you joke and giggle when he shoves you.

You would’ve helped him, if he wanted you to. You know it’s uncomfortable and that it’s partially your fault. You also know that all of those are just excuses to cover up the fact that you’ve always wondered what his cock looks like.

He’d need only ask you, but you know that he won’t.

Even if he did like you in that way, it’d just make things all complicated. And that was totally the opposite of the effortless relationship you’ve developed with him. The kind of effortless where he can be rock hard next to you, and you’ve both decided to just move on from it.

Steve, meanwhile, spends the rest of the movie not watching a single damn minute of it. He’s too busy trying to calm himself down like a teenage boy and figuring out he can get you on top of him again without being too obvious about the whole thing.

He decides he might just start swallowing his pride and let you win sometimes.

[7-wonders]

whenever the fates called morpheus love or dear it just gives me this image of morpheus coming to meet reader at their volunteer job at an old peoples home and all the elderly ladies giggling and calling him such a handsome man and why if they were a few decades younger they'd have him for themselves you're standing in the background not knowing how to reply to any of that

(This was like pulling teeth. When will my ability to write return from war?)

There are many little quirks when it comes to being in a relationship with a primordial, all-powerful being such as Dream of the Endless. One such instance is that time does not run the same for an Endless as it does for a human. Morpheus can lose minutes, hours, days to his duties between one blink and the next.

The Dreaming, that fantastical kingdom that your lover rules over, runs on the same logic. You can spend what feels like an hour in the Dreaming, only for it to be an entire day later in the Waking. Likewise, weeks in the Dreaming can be merely an hour in the Waking. It's disconcerting to creatures that have lived far longer than you.

All of this is to say that your meetings often don't have a specific date or time when they're in the Waking, simply because Morpheus doesn't know. He tries, though it's difficult: clocks do not work in the Dreaming, and Matthew is too important a raven to be constantly flying to the Waking to check the time so that Morpheus can "run off" (Matthew's words) with you. You've actually started to look forward to the spontaneity—it helps that he usually gets lucky and catches you when you're home or alone and don't have to worry about explaining how he just randomly appeared out of thin air.

Though it's rare, him coming to the Waking to see you and you being in public has happened before. This time, he shows up when you're just finishing up at the retirement home you volunteer at a couple times a month—you're in charge of what's supposed to be a crossword puzzles group, but what is mainly just a gossip group.

Most mortals aren't able to see Morpheus when he doesn't want to be seen. You're not most mortals, however, and you've gotten pretty damn good at sensing when he's around, which is why you're the only one that notices him lurking in the corner closest to the door.

"Hi," you mouth, trying and failing to hide your grin as you give him a discreet wave.

Your excitement must be palpable, because the women quickly pick up on it and thus catch sight of a tall, dark, and handsome stranger across the room. Ethel, the boldest of the group by far, grabs your arm and yanks you down to her level. "Is that the boyfriend?"

"Yes, that's the boyfriend."

They all know about the boyfriend because you've gushed about your beloved to this little group more than a few times. How can you not, though? Especially when you're surrounded by those who enjoy living vicariously through you and thus cajole you into sharing such stories about your love life.

"She thought he was fake, y'know," Ida informs you.

"Did not!" Ethel retorts. "I was just curious because you never showed us any pictures!"

"I've told you before that Morpheus is a little camera-shy." You don't actually know if that's the case or not; you just haven't yet figured out how to ask the anthropomorphic personification of dreams and nightmares if he wants to take a cute couple's selfie.

"Morpheus! Oh, how exotic." The little group titters, thrilled at having learned his name.

The man (-shaped being) of the hour has moved, placing a hand on your lower back so as to not frighten you when he suddenly stands next to you. You smile up at him and are greeted with the smallest of smiles in return while the sounds of your seniors oohing and aahing fade into mere background noise. Surroundings tend to become meaningless when you see Morpheus; all that matters then is you and he.

Morpheus is the one to remind you that you have an audience when he turns his attention upon said audience. He bows his head politely and says, "I greet you, ladies."

As you expected, they go absolutely nuts when they hear his voice.

"Oh my!" Ida blushes.

Ethel beams. "Aren't you a handsome one!"

"Why, if I were a few decades younger..." Shirley, who has absolutely no filter whatsoever, winks at Morpheus.

You sputter, your eyes wide and blood rushing to your cheeks. "Shirley!"

"What? I have eyes!"

While you're ready to hide your face in your hands and die (maybe you should see if Death has a cell phone), Morpheus simply hums in amusement. "You are very kind."

"And you are a sweetheart."

"Okay, that does it for me today," you interrupt. It's not a lie; you were literally saying your goodbyes and on your way out before Morpheus arrived! "I'll see you guys in a couple of weeks."

"You bring Morpheus around any time, alright?"

You can't get out of there fast enough, and Morpheus lets you practically drag him towards the parking lot. Once you're out in the fresh air (and away from any of the windows that your favorite gals could be spying from), you bury your head in Morpheus's shoulder and groan.

"I'm sorry. That was so embarrassing," you lament.

"Why? They were...sweet, if not a little overt in their affections."

You lift your head up to meet his eyes. "That's why it was embarrassing, my love."

"You are very clearly dear to them. They simply want to see you happy."

"I'm assuming you know that with your super special dream magic?"

"Daydreams and hopes are quite loud, starlight." He smirks because you know damn well just how loud some daydreams can be (specifically yours when you're thinking about Morpheus) before pressing his lips to your forehead.

"Well, you're certainly in their good graces now. They've been so nosy since they found out I'm seeing someone."

"So I lived up to their expectations, then?"

Now it's your turn to smirk. "Baby, you were beyond their wildest dreams."

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for criticizing the way my(27m) boyfriend(22m) compliments me?

It's a matter of how often (too often, imo), and the manner of "compliment." He calls it "being nice to me" but on my end, it simply feels too vague to really be about me, and more specifically it's the kind of thing that a fictional character would say about their loved one while delirious on cold medicine or something, except my bf is usually awake and sober when he does this, and it's every single day.

More specifically and objectively: "You're beautiful to me." "You're like an angel." "You're so important to me." etc. A lot of "to me"s. And quite genuinely, it's basically always said like someone kinda high on morphine? though at absolute worst he's kinda tired, and he'll still say it like that if he's perfectly awake.

It's this sort of thing every day, with this sort of jokingly lofty language, always when I don't feel I've done anything in particular to warrant it. Like, *I* never say stuff like this in a situation that isn't already deeply intimate and significant, but he says it seemingly just in response to me existing next to him. And for a while I smiled along and said thank you and I love you too but after some time it just started to run together so much that I got deeply annoyed by it and started telling him to stop. When I do he becomes upset and starts to say that he's just trying to be nice, and I try to explain that it's just the same thing every day and it feels kind of meaningless. But he just goes on about how it's insane that i'm critiquing his compliments.

From what he tells me, it seems on his end of things he's technically being genuine and it's just a kind of limited vocabulary that makes his communication of his love for me Like That. I just still kind of can't stand hearing the same sort of fake-sounding "compliment" every single day at random times where they don't feel like they belong and I feel like I'm going crazy. I feel like I can't even explain my side with more depth to him without him getting more seriously upset, but he doesn't seem motivated to actually stop at all even though I've brought it up many times.

Some added context: We've been together for about 2 years and these sort of compliments with the frequency that I'm complaining about is relatively recent, for the past maybe 3-4 months. I am in fact his first partner, and I definitely see how that factors into him wanting to say things like this to me. It's just the like... continuing to do it.

AM I crazy? I really can't tell who's the normal one here. But like... I just want to actually earn it if I'm gonna get told something like that. And I feel like it would inherently mean more if he saved it FOR those moments that I earned it. AITA?

What are these acronyms?

[bigdumbbambieyes]

"What is it?" Billy asks when he sits down on the couch. Steve is practically buzzing, hair tousled and he's jumping from one leg onto the other.

"Happy birthday," Steve blurts out.

Billy glares at him. "The shitbird's in trouble."

He doesn't celebrate his birthday. He doesn’t do confetti and party hats. It all became meaningless, when she left. It's probably always been fake.

"I tricked her, it's not her fault." Steve sucks at lying.

"You tricked Max," Billy scoffs. "Not in a million years, Harrington."

Steve purses his lips at his last name. "Thanks for the confidence."

"Nobody can trick her," Billy assures him.

"No cake for you," Steve snaps.

"There's cake?" Billy straightens his back. He hasn't had cake for his birthday in years.

"Yep." Steve popps the P, hand in his hips. "Cherry pie!"

He tries to still look insulted, but Billy can see the proud smile tugging at his lips.

"You really are a keeper," Billy says. He means it, even though hen

Steve's face lights up. He's so pretty, Billy thinks.

Steve winks at him as if he knows what he thinks and goes to get the cake. It's a gigantic thing, sweet scent heavy in the air, making Billy's mouth water. There's are two candles on top.

"One looked lonely," Steve explains with a sheepish grin.

Billy wants to kiss him. So he does.

"Thanks," he says, throat tight. Maybe he owes Max for that. Maybe birthdays aren't too bad - at least with Steve.

Happy Birthday, Bambi!! Sending you good vibes and confetti <3

ANNNN 😭🤍😭🤍

this is so beyond sweet!! Steve getting Billy’s birthday from Max is SO GOOD hehe i love how Billy instantly saw through his pretty boy’s lie kdnfkfn and the HUGE CAKE WITH TWO CANDLES?!? i’m crying, i’m dead

thank you so much for this, i adore your writing so this is an extra special present!! 🥹

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Hey, psst. Want to hear about one of my more meaningless pet peeves?

You know the Moomins, right? A few years ago the answer might've been no, but after the popularity of Moominvalley (2019) the Moomin franchise seems to have gained popularity outside of Europe and Japan. In any case, Moomins follows the adventures of hippo-like "trolls" in book, comic, TV show and movie form, animated, stop motion and live action alike. One of my very favourite characters from the Moomins is Edward the Booble.

(First image from here, the rest pulled from the episode Adventures of Moominpappa: Part 1)

My first introduction to him was in the animated Moomin (1990) series, and wow!!! What a creature, I'm sure you can assume why I immediately took a liking! A gigantic, reptilian beast, magnificently suited for aquatic living with his long body and finned tail! In this series it's even implied that he might be a dragon or related to dragons (this is not a feature of other Moomin series or books though) which made him infinitely cooler to me. Despite being the second largest creature on Earth he's always described to be a very friendly guy, if he ever steps on a person by accident he always pays for the funeral costs, they say.

Edward has other interpretations of himself, naturally, given the long lifespan of the Moomins as a franchise and the fact that he made his actual debut in the book Moominpappa's Memoirs. This is him as illustrated in the book:

(Image from here)

In the stop motion show The Moomins (1977) he looks like this:

(Image from The Moomins episode Edward the Booble)

The comics take perhaps the greatest divergence, as in those he looks like this:

(Image taken from here)

...Still pretty similar, usually.

Fortunately for me, despite his rather few appearances in any Moomin property, he gets his own spotlight in the Moomin World park! ...There's a theme park, by the way. Two parks, one in Naantali, Finland, one in Hanno, Japan. I'm talking about the Naantali park in this case, a place I've gone to significantly more than the average person. ^^' As you saw, certain characters (and places) look extremely different interpretation to interpretation, so Moomin World most closely sticks to the 90's animated show if there's any conflicting designs. This is Edward at the park, he floats near the Moomins' "bathing hut":

(Image from here)

Now look at that! Naturally they couldn't have made him a gigantic looming beast, but this is really darn close to how he is in the 90's series. He looks a lot like a long-necked dinosaur, I really enjoy his individually molded scales and hair strands, and his sort of claylike texture. It makes him look like he was brought into the real world straight from a cartoon: a look that's just right for the Moomin World! Just look at his face!!!

(Image from here)

A real big sweetie!!!! He's obviously fake, yet he feels real anyway. It's the way that he's shaped so naturally, how his raised neck and tail and arched back create a shape that flows from body part to part. It’s the way each part of him is textured, even in the parts of him where he lacks scales there’s a subtle unevenness to his surface, and certain features are raised. Despite being a purple yellow-haired reptilian creature he's very much like a real animal! All in all an excellent adaptation.

“Wait,” you might be thinking. “This is all good things. You like the Edward at the park. Where’s the pet peeve?”

You’d be quite right! All of this is indeed well and good, but that’s because I’ve withheld one crucial detail.

That is not Edward the Booble at the Moomin Park.

Not anymore. He was replaced some time ago, with an all new design.

Currently, Edward looks like this:

(Top image from here, bottom image from here)

......

What in the world. Do you see that??? Edward looks like his spine was mangled. I presented you with several different versions of Edward before so you could compare: does he look like any of his adaptations? Certainly not. He has never been a sea serpent!! Nevermind this ridiculously long snake torso, he's always depicted as having a long neck and tail but a normal, plump body. See those things shittily painted on his side? Those are fins! When did he ever have fins!!!?????

All of those wonderful sculpted scales have been replaced with an all smooth surface. His body's surface texture is instead communicated through paint. I do think the paint job is quite pretty as his colouration gets some variation (reminds me of a story book illustration, likely they were going for that look), but see how much the light reflects off of his plastic surface? When his scales were actually there, you'd see their shadows, but now that they went for an all smooth design he looks cheap, like any other theme park plastic statue out there. He looks factory-made. It makes his newly added fins appear like an afterthought, nevermind his hair that shifts from three-dimensional to painted on halfway down his neck. I suppose they just didn't feel like painting his hair all the way down his back like it is in Moomin...

I suppose his quizzical look is pretty cute, but yeeeouch that neck!!!! It has that weird bend right in the middle, and it's so skinny and short compared to his body. It widens so much at the bottom, he's like a watering can, man! His head is far too small and a real weird shape, though I can't put my finger on it. Perhaps his weird bulging teeth? They're awfully big in his mouth when previously they were more in proportion.

They insisted on this weird long noodle body and yet he doesn't even flow nicely anymore. There's an awkward hump between the neck and the body, and at the end of his body where logically his form would rise up, it instead straightens out for a bit, then his tail raises.

Now, obviously this is extremely minor in the grand scheme of things. I seldom bother myself with thoughts of the new Edward the Booble — only now did I get the idea of making a Tumblr post about this, lmao. This is just another case of “man, now why would they do that >:(“ rather than anything big. Because, really… man, now why would they do that!! Had a perfectly good Booble before. Perfect down to every last detail. Now he’s been replaced by some imposter! >:(

[callingbridgerton]

"Colin didn't earn Penelope."

Ummmmm.

Okay. So, let's just start by saying that Colin Bridgerton did nothing wrong by simply not feeling the same way about Penelope for so long. I am so serious. Even if he never returned her feelings, he wouldn't have done something wrong. But that's not the story we're watching. They're meant for each other, but he didn't know that. That is not wrong of him.

He has done only one thing wrong, ever (to Penelope): give into his insecurities, alter his true self, and give way to a fake version of himself that wants to be accepted by the wrong people and make a hurtful comment to "the boys" about her.

Which he apologized for the moment he knew she knew. It is sad, indeed, that he didn't realize on his own how hurtful that was but even if he had, given that he didn't know she knew, what purpose would there be in him going "uh, I made a really mean comment about you recently and I feel bad about it." Like what? That'd be harder to come back from than how it actually played out.

Now, I don't even want to talk about this because it annoys me how annoyed people are and I have seen it calming down but I think this is worth saying. Some people, I know, are really frustrated with Colin visiting brothels and having "experiences" on his travels. Especially those that have read the books (I haven't.) I know that people were attached to Virgin!Colin, but since I never even thought about that I just didn't care. Show Colin has not offended me, it is not my favorite thing in the world but I think people's primary problem with it is that they wanted Colin and Pen to be on the same exact page when they got together (virgins.) That's very cute and sweet as an idea but show Colin lives in a time period that does not at all expect that of him and in fact expects the opposite. In his quest to take on a new persona he attempts meaningless sex as well but we are shown over and over again that he's just not that into it. He's so confused, he knows it's "supposed" to work for him (as it does/did for his brothers and friends) but it just doesn't.

I also think a lot of people have a problem with it simply because they consider him promised to Penelope when he is not. He just isn't (even though he is.) But he didn't know that!!! He had literally no idea. He didn't cheat on her, he didn't break a promise, he didn't do anything wrong. He was just trying to figure himself out.

In reality, Colin has done nothing but be exceedingly kind to Penelope. A true friend. He has shown nothing but reverence for her all throughout season 1 and 2. And 3. He earned her through being her friend, the only one who truly listens to her and notices her bright mind and kind heart and warm soul. He is literally the only one. Eloise, maybe, but tbh she doesn't truly realize how amazing Pen is (IMO).

Colin didn't need to do anything else. He apologized for his mistakes and showed through actions how much he meant it.

He has earned her since the day they met.

[riddlerosehearts]

list of acd canon sherlock holmes things i absolutely love

(and am going to mostly put under a readmore because i made most of this list while rereading the entire canon so it is very long! listen i just think sherlock holmes is the best character ever and i need to share my love for him--)

immediately upon being introduced to watson he grabs him by the sleeve, starts excitedly showing off his bloodstain testing experiment, and claps his hands “looking as delighted as a child with a new toy”. once he finishes, his eyes glitter and he puts his hand on his heart and bows “as if to some applauding crowd conjured up by his imagination”.

watson: “i object to rows because my nerves are shaken”

holmes: “do you include violin playing in your category of rows?” he asked, anxiously

he’s noted to be extraordinarily knowledgeable and zealous in his studies, and yet on the same page it’s stated that he doesn’t know the earth travels around the sun and once watson tells him about it he immediately decides to forget about it because it’s not relevant to his work. this is where the famous “brain attic” monologue comes in.

watson writes this list about him and then throws it into the fire in despair:

has a habit of laughing in a way that’s described as bursting into an “explosion” or “roar” of laughter

frequently does this at crime scenes:

enlists a gang of street orphans to help him on his cases, pays them for their work, and generally treats them as equals but also playfully talks to them like a general to his soldiers

plays the violin for watson to help him get to sleep

is incredibly knowledgable on anything from different types of tobacco, to the ways one's trade can influence the form of their hands, to medieval pottery and stradivarus violins. and yet, i reiterate, does not know the earth revolves around the sun.

has a tendency of waxing poetic about the meaningless of existence, particularly when he’s bored from not having any cases to work on

once said about a dog “i would rather have toby’s help than that of the whole detective force of london”

used the word “doggy” when speaking to toby

once told watson “i don’t wish to be theatrical” despite all evidence to the contrary

disguises himself as an old man just to play a prank on watson

watson: “i think i had better go”

holmes: “not at all, doctor. stay where you are. i am lost without my boswell.”

is known to wiggle in his chair when he gets excited about a case

discovers that a man has tricked his own stepdaughter into a fake marriage so he can keep her at home and control her life and inheritance. acknowledges that said man hasn’t done anything illegal but still tells him “there never was a man who deserved punishment more” and that he ought to get whipped for what he did, and then goes to actually get his hunting crop, causing the man to run out the door at top speed

let a criminal go free because it turned out the man he murdered was trying to force said criminal’s daughter into an unwanted marriage

was suddenly made to participate in the wedding of someone he was tracking for a case, came home and laughed about it for several minutes, exclaimed “well, really!”, laughed for several more minutes, and only then did he actually tell watson what happened

responds to the king of bohemia insulting irene adler and saying she’s not on his level by saying coldly: “from what i have seen of the lady, she seems indeed to be on a very different level to your majesty”, which is basically him saying “actually she’s way better than you, so fuck off”

refused to shake said king’s hand

built a pillow fort in a client’s house so he could think better

let a poor jewel thief go because he cried, because it was christmas and therefore it was the season of forgiveness, and because the case was really easy anyway so it’s not his fault if the police are too stupid to solve it themselves

always reassures clients that they can trust him and watson and speak freely around them

is willing to waive his fee for clients who can’t afford to pay him, because according to him his profession is its own reward

this entire scene from speckled band when he gets confronted by his client’s abusive stepfather:

this nice little example of the gentleness he often displays with his clients:

the adventure of the copper beeches. just, all of it. a woman he doesn’t know comes to holmes for advice about a potential job she’s interviewed for and they both agree it sounds incredibly sketchy, she says she’s gonna take it anyway because she needs the money, and he’s like “well i wouldn’t want any sister of mine doing something like this but FINE i guess, just please write to us and let us know if you’re okay and if anything bad happens we’ll drop everything and come help you immediately”, and then the job does in fact turn out to be super sketchy and they drop everything and get on a train as soon as she writes to them

sometimes spends several hours out on walks through the park or the town with watson just relaxing and talking with him for the sake of it, despite watson frequently noting that holmes doesn’t have much appreciation for nature

“we have had the good fortune to bring peace to many troubled souls. i trust that we may do the same for you,” he says “in his easy, genial way” to a potential client who’s clearly very upset and sleep-deprived

is completely wrong about a particular case and asks watson to remind him of that case next time he gets overconfident

is noted by watson to be very neat and methodical in his methods and way of dress, while simultaneously being one of the messiest people ever who keeps his tobacco inside a persian slipper and his unopened letters held up by a knife in the center of his mantelpiece, keeps tons of criminal relics which apparently somehow end up in the butter dish sometimes, and keeps countless stacks of papers and documents all over the place

tells watson anecdotes about his past just to avoid cleaning up said documents

deliberately knocks over a table, shattering a glass fruit bowl which then sends oranges rolling all over the room, and then blames it on watson and runs away

says snarky things like “when gregson or lestrade are out of their depth–which, by the way, is their normal state” and “you’ve done very well, watson! it’s too bad you’ve missed everything of importance”

laughs when watson suggests he’s being modest about his abilities

picked up a rose and got all sappy and poetic about it

more specifically, picked up a rose and said that religion can be a science which involves a lot of careful deduction, and that flowers are a source of hope and proof of the goodness of god due to the fact that they aren’t a necessary part of life but are still so beautiful anyway

recovered an incredibly valuable government treaty for a client and had it served to him on a platter at breakfast because, in his own words, he “never can resist a touch of the dramatic”

faked his death and then revealed to watson that he was still alive in a manner that even he admitted was unnecessarily dramatic

had a full-scale wax model of himself created and used it to fool his enemies

made a diagram out of breadcrumbs to explain something to watson

broke into a blackmailer’s house for a case because he believed it to be morally justifiable, and admitted that he always thought he might make a good criminal

held watson’s hand while they were burgling said house together

twice

allowed said blackmailer to be murdered in front of him by one of his victims and then refused to take the case when asked because he just hated the guy that much

“flushed up with pleasure” when watson complimented him

asked watson to sell his medical practice and move back into 221b with him after the death of his wife. and then secretly gave a relative of his a ton of money to buy watson’s medical practice at the highest price watson would ask for, just so they could live together again

was nearly brought to tears by lestrade saying he was proud of him

let a dog lead him around on a case, multiple times in different stories

was very gentle with a client who he knew to be the victim of an abusive marriage and allowed the man who killed her husband to go free out of sympathy for their situation

noticed watson looking sad and touching his war wound and tried to cheer him up by echoing his thoughts and providing a deduction of how he knew what he was thinking

mentioned watson’s sparkling eyes in said deduction

talked about nothing but violins and his favorite violinist for an hour while he and watson had lunch together

likes going to classical music concerts and getting lost in the music

does scrapbooking

chuckles and rubs his hands together when he’s happy

this:

takes getting called "the devil himself" as a compliment

let a killer go because he had only killed in retaliation for the unjust murder of his lover, and holmes felt that he might’ve done the same if someone were to kill the woman he loved

on a completely unrelated note tells a guy who shoots watson “if you had killed watson you would not have got out of this room alive”

also reacted like this when watson got shot:

went undercover to supposedly give a guy secret government intelligence documents, and then gave him a book about bees instead

frequently disguised himself either for cases or just to fool watson and was noted to be a great actor

once disguised himself as an old woman with a parasol

tried the best he could to talk a young woman out of marrying a man who had a history of “collecting” women for sport and destroying their lives, and admitted to watson that he thought of her as he would think of his own daughter

was prone to “imp-like moods”

sent watson a message to come over at once ("if convenient--if inconvenient come all the same") just so he could infodump to him about dogs

wasn’t surprised that a dog died of grief shortly after its owner’s death, because of “the beautiful, faithful nature of dogs”

listened with great sympathy to a depressed woman who wanted to tell him her tragic story, picked up on hints that she was planning to commit suicide, talked her out of it by convincing her that her life does have value and then called her brave for choosing to live

got lost in thought looking out the window at the publicly funded elementary schools and randomly went on about how he believes they and the children who attend them are beacons of a brighter future

made hot cocoa for watson

shook hands with a baby

retired to the countryside to live on a farm and become a beekeeper.

[rosemarycovet]

Billy loomis x reader who goes silent while arguing/is upset

-billy really cares and loves for you

-if he didn’t he wouldn’t be with you and it’s not in a fake way either

-you’re his top priority

-so he hates when you stay quiet especially if something has upset you

-he really doesn’t like when you guys argue because you just stay silent you don’t fight back or anything

-he would always have to reassure you either with his words or actions

-when ever you would cry billy would raise his hands to wipe your tears instead of hitting you like you thought he would

-you would always think billy saw you pathetic or way to sensitive when you would remain silent and would hit you but he never would hit or abuse you he cares for you to much to ever lay a finger on you

-when I say he cares for you I mean it he really does your all he has left in his eyes ever since his mother left him

-that’s why he hates when you stay silent he doesn’t want you ignoring your feelings or keeping them away from him

“it’s ok” you said to billy in a soft unsure voice

“no it’s not” billy said sternly

“talk to me (y/n/n) please”

-you would occasionally apologize for a lot of meaningless things

“you don’t need to apologize”

-would always reassure you he’s not leaving you when you overthought

-if he found out the reason you’re were upset was because of someone he would be so mad

-he would kill anyone that made you cry

-would glare daggers at the person

-he would kill them with his barehands it didn’t matter if he had the ghost face costume or not

-would never ever let you go to sleep mad at him or upset

you turned away from billy laying your head the opposite way from him not wanting him to see you cry as tears swelled up in your eyes “please don’t sleep mad at me just talk to me” billy would say to you

-his abandonment issues really kick in when you just look up at him with sad eyes as you stay silent

-he gets scared your upset at him and going to leave him and find someone better

“don’t just go silent on me let’s talk about it..I can’t loose you” billy would say in a shaky deep voice trying to get you to talk as he held you

-whenever you felt like a burden to billy or felt like your feelings didn’t matter he would drop everything he’s doing to let you vent

-it didn’t matter if he was hanging out with stu or doing homework he would drop it and let you talk to him

“you know I always have time for you” he would reassure you

-whenever he would raise his voice at you he would bring it down so quickly not wanting to scare you away

-he knows you hate it when he raises his voice

-you would hug him tight whenever you were upset or sad scared he was going to shove you away

“relax i’m not going anywhere” he would tell reassure the both of you

[solarmorrigan]

💘 for the ask game? Might have a preference for the dare kiss if the inspo strikes you... 👀

Inspo did, in fact, strike me (thank you for the prompt!)

💘 fake relationship / mutual pining / dared to kiss

Prompt from this post

CW: alcohol use

-

Eddie doesn’t know whose brilliant idea this was, but they owe him for emotional damages.

Like–

Look, Eddie had really only ever attended high school parties as a dealer, had had very little interest in them otherwise, and thus has never played any of those cheap excuses for a chance to swap spit that they called games. Not truth or dare, not seven minutes in heaven, and not—Eddie watches in dizzy fascination as the empty beer bottle twirls and twirls in the center of the circle—spin the bottle.

Except someone had suggested it, and the rest of them had been just drunk enough to decide it was a great idea and join in.

Except Eddie is pretty sure this game is supposed to be played with classmates you don’t really know; people you barely remember in the morning and whose eyes you can avoid in the hallways at school on the following Monday – not two girls Eddie helped save the world with, the boyfriend of one of the aforementioned girls (and possibly the boyfriend of the aforementioned boyfriend? Eddie’s not sure what’s going on there), three guys he’s been friends with since middle school, and–

–the bottle stops, and Robin lets out a whoop. It’s pointing to the spot directly to Eddie’s right, the spot filled with none other than–

Steve Harrington.

The current bane of Eddie’s existence, with his stupid, pretty face and his stupid, soft-looking hair and his stupid, dry sense of humor and the way he’s stupidly sweet to Eddie and the way he’s smiling at stupid, stupid Eddie right now, who has a stupid, embarrassing crush on the guy, and now Eddie has to kiss him because the beer bottle says so. It’s the law, or something.

Eddie swears he hasn’t actually had that much to drink; he’s pretty sure proximity to Steve just does this to his brain.

Steve keeps smiling at him, amused, eyebrows raised expectantly. “Well?” he goads gently, elbowing Eddie in the side. “You gonna back down, or are you gonna kiss me, Munson?”

And– okay, one, Eddie has never backed down from a dare in his life, mostly because he operates on at least seventy-five percent impulsive thought power, and two, there’s no way Eddie isn’t going to take the chance to kiss Steve. It might not be the way he wants, but it also might be the only chance he’s going to get, so he turns and curves a hand at the side of Steve’s jaw—to steady Steve or to steady himself or maybe because he just wants to touch—and leans in and presses his lips to Steve’s.

And he tries to keep it PG, alright? He tries to keep it close-mouthed and soft, as easy and meaningless as the short kiss Robin had laid on him a few moments ago that had made it his turn to spin the bottle in the first place – he tries, but then someone (maybe Gareth? Hard to say, the world outside of Steve and Eddie has gone a little wishy-washy) shouts, “You call that a kiss?” and, well–

Eddie’s never backed down from a dare in his life.

(And if this is the only opportunity he’s going to have to kiss Steve, he figures he might as well milk it for all it’s worth.)

So he tilts his head, and parts his lips, and finds that Steve’s tongue is already there, hot and wet and licking into his mouth like he’s starving for it, teasing Eddie’s tongue back into his own mouth and sucking, and–

Eddie pulls back before the embarrassing noise he can feel building up in his chest can work its way free. He blinks at Steve, who is staring right back, eyes wide and starry, pupils blown, his mouth still hanging open a little as he pants for air, his bottom lip full and shiny in a way that makes Eddie want to dive right back in and bite him a little bit.

In fact, he’s very close to doing just that until someone’s voice breaches their little bubble.

“Well, Steve?” Robin prods, sounding far too amused for anyone’s good. “Are you gonna take your turn?”

“Nah.” Steve shakes his head, eyes still trained on Eddie as he stands up. “I think I’m out. Eddie?”

Eddie’s on his feet before Steve can even finish saying his name. “Right behind you.”

And then Steve is smiling again, eager and maybe—dare Eddie think it—a little smitten, and he grabs Eddie’s hand to drag him somewhere a little more private, somewhere away from the catcalls coming at them from the circle of friends they’re leaving behind, who Eddie pays absolutely no mind to because finding the nearest clear surface he can crowd Steve against feels more important.

Eddie doesn’t know whose brilliant idea spin the bottle was, but he owes them a goddamn fruit basket.

[heartbeatbookclub]

I think probably the biggest thing that contributes to the thought that Monika's love isn't some great falsehood to me is actually how she talks about it after being deleted.

Like, okay, i understand everyone saying that she isn't interested in you, because she's actually not interested in you specifically. I've said this before; Monika knows virtually nothing about you. She only knows that you're real. Despite this, she says she is utterly in love with you, while making it clear that her entire existence absent you is completely meaningless to her, because she knows it isn't real. It's fairly easy to make the leap here and I definitely agree that Monika is more in love with the idea of you than with you specifically.

I however disagree with the notion that this love is somehow false.

I've talked about this a little bit in the past, and I have a few drafts somewhere going deeper into my thoughts on it, but I didn't like how they turned out, so I'm just gonna start fresh.

I think if you only look at Monika's actions leading up into Act 3 and what she says then, it's a little questionable how true her feelings are. She talks a lot and spends a lot of time trying to endear herself to the player while forcing them to choose her. And a lot of that talk is about how powerful her sense of nihilism is about the world around her, except you.

It's not hard to make the leap that the reason why she's so invested in you specifically is because you represent something real, where she is trapped somewhere fake. Even if she can't really escape, she's content with this being as close as she'll get.

She's sitting here, directly talking to someone she believes is real, trusting that they're there, and listening to her.

You could take us continuing to click through the text and potentially hitting the skip button as confirmation that we are indeed still here, but the important thing is she can't see us. She doesn't know anything about us, or what it really looks like for us, but she loves us anyway, because we are real.

That's it, isn't it? At that point she doesn't even love us. It's a front; it's a lie to try and get some sense of interaction with reality. She doesn't actually love us; she loves the idea of escape we present.

There's one major thing that suggests to me that it's more complicated than that.

After we delete her, her initial response is fear. Anger. Betrayal. After everything she sacrificed, all she dedicated to us, we delete her. We've killed her; only small vestiges of her influence remain. How cruel. How unjust.

We are truly sickening, aren't we?

...But she still loves us.

I think this is something people overlook about the situation here, and I really think it's indicative of something not a lot of people realize.

Monika has no reason to lie here. There's no reason to maintain any sort of facade; Monika is giving up. There is no escape from her prison. She is trapped and always will be. And you? Despite everything, despite all that she's done to be with you, all the love she's given?

You deleted her. You killed her. She opened her heart to you, and you rejected her.

She has nothing left. She's dying. You, her one reason for living, for doing any of this, rejected her. She fucked everything up. She regrets everything she did, realizing that she's ruined everything, and probably driven you to hate her as well. Regardless of if that's true, it's what she believes.

Monika is at the end of her rope. Yet still, even when the chips are down, even when she's lost all hope of escape, when she's given up completely, when she regrets everything, believes you hate her, and hates herself...

She still loves you.

I don't think Monika's feelings are in any way a front for something else. I think she truly does believe, more than anything, that she loves you, truly, from the bottom of her heart. I think it's better to say, rather than that she doesn't love you, she only loves what you represent, because she doesn't know anything about you, that she does love you, despite not knowing anything about you, because what she does know is enough to her. She knows (or at least believes) that you're here, that you've been here, and that you're still here, despite everything. You've spent this much time with her. You must truly be kind, and patient, and all these other things she's built up in this image of you in her head.

Despite everything. Despite your rejection of her.

She still loves you.

And it's that love that guides her on into introspection, forces her to come to terms with the fact that she's been acting selfishly this entire time. It's her love for you that makes her realize how horrible she's been, and leads to her regretting everything.

Because if you deleted her after all she sacrificed, there's only one explanation. You don't love her the same. In fact, you must hate her for what she's done. She's ruined everything as badly as she possibly could.

She still loves you, but she messed things up so badly that you hate her.

"How could I do that to someone I love...?"

She restores everyone on the assumption that things will work out if she's just gone.

Because she wants to give you what you want.

Because she still loves you.

Dan Salvato responded to this question in the r/DDLC AMA on Reddit, and when I first read that response it seemed like a huge...non-answer. And when you actually look at it, within the context of the question, I'm right, it doesn't really answer the heart of what the question's about, and it's always troubled me because of the way he worded it.

It takes the notion that Monika loves us for granted, and instead of actually addressing the question, provides a foundation for Monika's truly selfless expression of love.

When I look at this, I'm suddenly confronted by my own thoughts of Monika as a fictional character, rather than as AI. Rather than accepting the conceit of +'s world, that Monika is truly an artificial intelligence in a simulated reality, looking at Monika as a fictional character with awareness of something beyond the fictional. That she is, in a sense, on a dimension below.

Yet despite that, she tries to reach behind the curtain, to reach out and touch your hand separated by the screen.

And regardless of any motivation, she loves you. She does, wholeheartedly, and she wants nothing but the best for you. She wants to give you all of the love she has. "Only someone who has lost all hope in themselves is the one who is condemning Monika to her own sad, unfulfilled fantasy. If you believe Monika loves you, then you've found it in you to love yourself a little bit, and that's what she would want more than anything."

It doesn't really answer the question, in my opinion. But I'm not sure it's supposed to.

Really, it's tough to make heads or tails of what that actually means in the context of this question. I often find myself wondering if I'm thinking too hard about things as presented in the game, and diving off into wild speculation into things which Salvato didn't intend.

I think the most important element to all of this, which people so frequently look past, is that Monika's own perspective is heavily limited. I have some other thoughts on this that I won't get into here, but just because we know something's true or we think something about her true underlying motivations doesn't mean she knows it.

A lot of what she says and does may be consequences of denial, but that doesn't mean conscious denial necessarily. I think something a lot of people don't realize is that Monika isn't actually some omnipotent or all-seeing goddess. There are things she doesn't understand, and things she can't control. I talk often about how we have no real communication with Monika outside of the limited interface of the game, but I'm not sure even she knows how limited that interface is, given how she places some blame onto our shoulders for how things turned out prior to Act 3, among other things. She has the capacity to be surprised by things happening in game, given that she was surprised by how we were left with Yuri's corpse for an entire weekend, commenting that she didn't realize the script had broken that badly.

The way she manipulates the others seems very half-hearted and inefficient, and she's frustrated by how tough it is to make things turn out how she wants.

I mean, despite believing herself to have very deep knowledge and control over how things are managed in her reality, she doesn't realize at all that she's done this exact same song and dance over and over across millions of people playing Doki Doki Literature Club. Even within the conceit of +, over each reset loop, the same things happen, and she has no idea. She is still subject to the whims of being a character in this game; she is not somehow divorced from it due to her awareness.

Her life is a tightly wound coil of duplicate decisions leading to the same outcomes each time, and she has no idea. And regardless of your decisions, things turn out the same.

She's the same as any of the girls, operating with their own code forcing them to do certain things. Each of them might realize something is wrong, or different; some cracks show through Monika's overt manipulation of elements of their personality, but they still act as though it comes from within, because that's how it feels, and why would you assume differently?

Somebody built them. Their existence is determined by a base of hard code, that although their consciousness may resist it, ultimately defines what their consciousness even is.

And Monika is no different.

It's implied pretty heavily that the four of them are on the same level, within the conceit of the game being artificial intelligence responding to stimuli. As Sayori, Natsuki, and Yuri are all tweaked in different elements, they change in personality. Their actions change, in ways that both Monika and the player don't necessarily expect.

Sayori hangs herself, Natsuki is able to write a note about her concerns for Yuri, and Yuri stabs herself multiple times, leaving you staring at a rotting corpse all weekend. When Sayori becomes Club President, she immediately sets to keep you for herself. Or she loses her mind. Whatever.

My point is, they're all on the same level, just with only one having awareness of the real nature of their reality.

So...that all being said.

Monika's love isn't a lie, not even one she's telling herself. But it doesn't seem to make sense, does it?

So the real question, I guess, isn't whether it's true or false.

It's whether she developed it naturally, or if it was implanted.

Does that even matter in the context of fiction?

Why did the chicken cross the road?

All these questions and more...uh, I don't know. Seek medical attention if brainrot lasts longer than 4 hours. If you read to the bottom of this post, you're cute. Do the monkey with me!

[jacksprostate]

me and @a-forsteri were talking about how the narrator like, desperately wants someone to tell him his life is fucked up, what he does is fucked up, he desperately wants someone to respond with the gravity he desires.

Like, he tells these people on the plane what he does. Trying to fuck with them. Desperately hoping!! One of them will go: holy shit!!! That's really fucked up how do you live with that!!! But all he gets is people thinking he's the freak and just asking what car company he works for. Because it is easier to pretend he himself is the problem, maybe just his company, rather than actually face and recognize the systemic, widespread nature of what he's saying.

It leans together with his sense of where he is in his office, too. He feels separate from all these people. They feel fake. They feel like people going on as normal even though they're all working to hasten the apocalypse, and no one acknowledges it! They're all perfectly happy to turn a blind eye to any of the distant consequences of their actions. That is what their jobs are for. Keep them up in the cubicles, nicely fed and watered with inflated salaries, and then they'll have no issue with the distant sense that they may be contributing to a corrupt system. They can't change the system, but they need to feed their kids, so hell, just don't think about it too much.

But he doesn't have that option. He is the one who actually does go out into the field and he sees the direct result of all of their collective actions, but especially his. Every crash related to a faulty part he sees is because someone like him before him, or him himself, ran the formula and let this happen. He has no choice but to see the very real result of his actions.

And he feels INSANE over it. Because he returns to the office and it's just numbers. Applying the formula. Hearing your coworkers chat about a potluck. You're not contributing to a horrific system, you ARE the horrific system, and it's like you're the only one who sees that. He literally cannot sleep over it.

And when you tell people about it, they try to minimize it. To your company, to you. Because that is easier than acknowledging just how many things have to be corrupt and uncaring of human life to allow this to be the case. It's too much. Stick your head in the sand.

He desperarely wants someone to scream at him: how could you do that? How could anyone do that? Why is this allowed to happen? Doesn't anyone see something wrong here?

He imagines his plane crashing. Free him from this. The burden of every piece of normality manufactured for satiating any thought and discomfort he has about his job. It's all petty, pointless fluff. It's putting some artificial grass on the feedlot. Why does everything and everyone say it's all worth it for this garbage?

He wants someone to tell him all this. He doesn't want to be alone. He already feels catastrophically alone. In his life, whenever he talks about this, whenever he does anything. He loves the support groups because you're allowed to have abject misery there. You rejoice in it. Everyone's life is falling apart and ending and nothing means anything good ever. They're all honest about it, too. He plays coy when he talks about his job, but these people, everyone knows they're falling apart, and it's recognized and treated as the horror it is. This is freedom. Hitting bottom is freedom.

But he's supposed to be happy, because he's got his cushy little IKEA nest. It is only when people think he also has cancer and parasites causing his deep dissociation from his own life and general aura of resentment and misery that it's treated as something that isn't just... an individual flaw. Because it's easier for there to be something wrong with him than for that thing wrong with him to be how society makes him be this way. Rewards him for it.

So he invents someone. Tyler. To stop his little dance. To interrupt him. Drag him away and tell him all those little sundries are meaningless. Like he knows. But now he has someone saying it's true. The world IS falling apart. Everything is fucked up. It's everything he knows and has been too cowardly to say and now he finally has someone to say it for him and push to make some changes in his life. To expect him to actually do something. To feel his rage for him. And it's a catch-22, because a large part of what he hates about himself is that he's too cowardly and noncommittal to just do this all on his own.

[utilitycaster]

1. Why do you like or dislike this character? - Percy and/or Keyleth?

I like both of them, so:

I like Percy for the surface reasons of intelligence and witty comebacks and the general Taliesin Jaffe Arrogant Guy Is Confidently Wrong About Many Things reasons, but more specifically I like how incredibly aware he is of social structures and doesn't dismiss them as stupid or fake or meaningless just because he is aware how much artifice is involved. I love how much he validates Vex in this, as someone who's been on the other side of that social divide most of her life and who knows she "shouldn't" care but does, deeply. It would be so easy for him to say "look, titles are stupid and fake, I should know, I have one," but instead he says "no, I see what this means to you, because yes it's all an accident of birth and yes it is kind of stupid and fake, but it's also the reason why you lived rough for your teens and early 20s, and you are not silly for wanting this security." I also think he's a great exploration of guilt and of someone who has a lot of complicated feelings from the gods but does value their counsel; we don't get a lot of characters with that sort of nuance. His scene with the Raven Queen remains a standout for me and for all he can be melodramatic and obnoxious at times, he is also like 25, traumatized, and should be at the club. I think the question he answers (why would someone invent the gun) is an interesting one, and I think the way that his story ends up with the obvious inevitable happening and yet he still finds happiness is unexpected and wonderful to see.

I like Keyleth for a lot of reasons people will probably be annoyed about, which is...she is annoying. Annoying women: may we know them, may we be them, and may we raise them. Anyway, I think her terror of doing the wrong thing at the cost of doing anything sets up a fantastic arc for someone who is expected to become a leader. I admire how she knows she's not the most eloquent and is scared of her responsibilities but does not back down from speaking up when she disagrees with the party. I like how she's perhaps the only example of lifespan angst that is actually portrayed as making a lot of sense, especially since she is also extremely young (probably shouldn't be at the club given the bar crawling results. She should be at ZooLights and have like, one cider.) I think in general her fears are incredibly real and make sense for the character and shape her, and that's not something you see portrayed with this amount of depth very often. I stuck with the VM-era portrayal of Percy but I will say I especially love how Keyleth is portrayed in Campaign 3, because Percy hasn't changed a ton in adulthood, merely mellowed out a little, but Keyleth very much has as she's grown in confidence, as she was only at the beginning of that during the Campaign. I think her relationship with Vax is incredibly good for both of them; her sense of belonging to a place and his ability to support. I do like that she gets angry, especially after so much time being insecure, but I feel much has been made of her anger and I don't have a ton to add there, and also while I like that she is angry and expresses it, there are other characters I gravitate to for that specifically. Also I have incredible respect for her having to take on a much bigger magical burden than expected; I have said this before but my longest-running character was in a campaign where the player playing sorcerer switched to ranger, and the cleric left, leaving me as the only full caster and primary healer (though thankfully we got a baller paladin shortly after). The fact that Keyleth had to, and could, be whatever the party needed mechanically was a godsend. I know VM died a lot but they would have died like 20 times more without her and Scanlan and especially without her.

[themousefromfantasyland]

Damsel (2024): Movie Review

I will starting this by saying that the premise turned me off right by the start: the innocent princess offered in sacrifice to the dragon must find strength to face the beast all on her own.

It sounded like typical corporate feminism: Fairy tales are all about knights saving princesses from dragons. That's sexist. In our tale, the princess saves herself because she needs no man.

I was expecting a forced girl power movie, and even the initial opening narration turned me off.

But I was wrong.

This film is an atmospheric dark fairy tale that knows it's roots and use them to cleverly subvert the expectations of the public.

Does it have a shallow understanding of fairy tales? A little bit, but it reinvents pretty well the cliches and tropes that the audience is used to.

Most of the movie is Elodie, Millie Bobby Brown's character, trying to survive in the Dragon's lair, while simultaneously having visions of the Dragon's past victims and the crimes that the kingdom committed against the Dragon, starting this whole chain of human sacrifices. It's a pretty bold direction, and while I thought I would be quickly bored by it, the movie doesn't allow the scenes to feel boring or meaningless.

I also love how the movie doesn't try to frame women as just a innocent and guiltlessly monolith. We see the suffering of the innocent girls that perished in the ritual, the determination of the Elodie's Stepmother that is suspicious of the "wedding" and is trying to save her stepdaughter, and the ruthlessness of Queen Isabelle, that wants the rituals to continue in order to preserve her family's power. Even the dragon is nothing more that a vengeful mother tricked into being part of an insane cycle of revenge and death.

This is how you create a feminist fairy tale that isn't shallow, pandering, and fake.

It's a 10/10 movie for me, and one of the best feminist fairy tales of recent years.

@ariel-seagull-wings @mask131 @thealmightyemprex @princesssarisa

[opia-tarot]

aries venus

The passionate lover

These people are in my top 3 fav venus signs honestly. They're so passionate. So what are aries venuses about? These people want you to be your authentic self if you're dating them or friends with them. They can tell when you're not being yourself. Being comfortable around an aries venus is important to them. Aries venuses are soooo freaking passionate and just so raw. What I love about them is how authentic they are, you never have to question if an aries venus wants you. They are typically pursuers, not necessarily always in an overt sense depending on their other placements. Some of them are more overt and some of them will take smaller steps in pursuing a love interest. If you are trying to win over an aries venus don't bother being subtle, they won't notice ahahaha. You have to be more obvious about it. Aries venuses love honesty and authenticity, so just be yourself to attract them. Honestly I can confidently say every aries venus hates fake shit. A shadow aspect of this placement is needing constant reassurance from their partner, remember it's a shadow aspect every placement has it so it's okay. An aries venus will literally do anything for the people they love. These people are such impassioned partners, I love it so much. They can make anything a date, anything is fun when you're with them. They allow you to be childlike and just be in the moment. Love for them is ride or die. A healthy aries venus knows their worth in a situation where they are being used or taken advantage of. Aries venus remember your energy matters. Overall aries venuses are a whirl of hot energy, they'll sweep you off your feet. Seriously aries venus love is so raw and it's not with underlying intentions, it's just real and that's what i love about them. Aries venuses don't like being bored, they need the rush of the moment.

taurus venus

The loyal lover

These people are so loyal. Taurus venuses are no bs types of people, if you want to win them over don't bother trying to sell when you can't deliver. They have high expectations because they know their type of loyalty is rare and they won't just be vulnerable with anyone. They are sensual and they like to be spoiled. No this doesn't mean they're demanding, but show them some affection and demonstrate how much you appreciate them. Taurus venus is the complete example of show me how you feel because honestly every taurus venus hates meaningless words. If you say something, mean it, it's that simple. A taurus venus is all about the courting, they want equal reciprocation. A taurus venus shadow trait is either being too possessive or being too detached due to trust issues. Another taurus venus shadow trait is being overly stubborn in relationships especially if they have a fixed mars sign. A healthy taurus venus has a balance within their personality and is able to communicate their needs in a friendship or a relationship without resentment. Taurus venuses love quality time and when they really love you, they love being physically intimate, cuddles etc. Taurus venuses HATE superficiality. They want someone who accepts them as a whole, not the clean cut aspect of them. They don't want to feel like they have the change themselves to be in a relationship. Never try to change a taurus venus they'll just cut you off ahaha.

gemini venus

The fun lover

I would say this venus placement is really misunderstood in the astro community. So i'm here to tell you what a gemini venus is really about. These people have a bit of an odd reputation. So what does a gemini venus like in relationships? They want freedom period. They don't appreciate being told what to do, or being manipulated to be something they're not. Gemini venuses want to be accepted for who they are. Period. A gemini venus shadow aspect is looking for approval where they shouldn't and lacking confidence in their ability to connect with others. A healthy Gemini venus will be able to say when they need space without detaching from people too quickly. Gemini venuses love intelligence, stimulate their brains and you'll win them over ahaha. Gemini venuses HATE games and manipulation. They just want things to be simple and not complex. Make them curious, keep them guessing. Gemini venuses like people who excite them and they loveeee spontaneous people. They will likely question you about what you like, because gemini venuses love to pick the brain of their love interest. In terms of friendship, gemini venuses tend to love quality time, not necessarily always spending time together, but time where you can really bond. Because space is really important for a gemini venus. They despise feeling suffocated. Gemini venuses are about the natural progress of a relationship. Don’t try and force the process with them. Allow them to have their own space to flourish within the relationship.

cancer venus

The soft lover

Such a sweet placement!! Cancer venuses are deep lovers. I feel like this is something we don't talk about enough. The cancer venuses i've met are intense lovers, they literally dive in relationships heart first. A cancer venus shadow aspect is being too emotionally attached in relationships or friendships they should detach from. They can be easily drained by others, a healthy cancer venus knows their energy is precious. Cancer venuses are reliable, the type of people to be there no matter the issue. They are also very trustworthy. Cancer venus really values deep emotional connections. They love to feel appreciated for just being themselves. An shadow cancer venus aspect is feeling a sense of insecurity in relationships whereas a healthy cancer venus knows they are enough. Period. Cancer venuses are about making their partner feel comfortable. They want to be your safe space. They want a deep bond. Cancer venuses tend to be worried about rejection and tend to also have a fear of abandonment. Cancer venuses need emotional reassurance, like it’s okay to feel like that. I’m here for you. Does this make sense? Never invalidate a cancer venuses expression of love or their feelings, they’ll shut down. They want to make memories you only have together. They’re the types to keep a napkin from a first date ahaha. Probably even frame it😭😭 So sweet!!

leo venus

The dramatic lover (sorry i had to ahaha)

Hello my darlings! Leo venus supremacy (not just because i'm a leo venus👀 ahaha). I LOVE leo venuses. I'm going to be unbiased don't worry. The people i've been closest with have been leo venuses so i've got a personal understanding. Leo venuses have astronomically high standards ahahaha. And to be honest leo venuses will not lower their standards, they would rather be single. They are so loyal!! Unhealthy leo venuses can be a bit demanding in relationships without reciprocating, whereas a healthy leo venus understands other people's love languages and makes an effort to reciprocate in friendships and relationships. Leo venuses are possessive and an unhealthy leo venus can amplify the fixed energy to a unhealthy degree, wanting to own their partner. The possessiveness is something i struggle with sometimes, so i tend to vibe better with more intense venus signs due to this. A healthy leo venus understands their partner needs space and they understand this doesn't equate to rejection. Leo venuses tend to struggle with self worth during adolescence. It's something they develop over time. Leo venuses love to SPOIL!. For example my friend was sick so i travelled hours to go get her a coffee. My other leo venus friend made it necessary for me to meet any potential love interests to sus them out ahaha. This is what leo venuses are like, but a healthy leo venus makes sure they aren't being used in friendships or relationships. Every leo venus has overinvested their energy at some point, it's a necessary turning point for them to establish boundaries and self worth. Leo venuses are highly sought after, and they love attention ahaha. However, a leo venus, like taurus venus needs you to show them you appreciate them. Remember what foods they like, remember the shirt they said they want to get. Little things matter to them, which i wanted to talk about. Leo venus have a bit of a superficial reputation, a healthy leo venus values the displays of love and the love itself.

virgo venus

The attentive lover

Virgo venus, the parent of the venus signs ahaha. Virgo venus is not all practical, they love love too. Virgo venuses have apprehension in regard to vulnerability. They don't like being vulnerable. It takes a person they feel really really safe with in order to be vulnerable. Virgo venuses don't like unreliable people. An unhealthy virgo venus can be overly critical of their partner's flaws in an attempt to micromanage them rather than having an honest conversation. A healthy virgo venus is aware their partner has flaws and if anything does irritate them, they are able to convey this to their partner. A healthy virgo venus is caring and so so supportive. Virgo venuses have their reservations but when they do feel comfortable they are very loving. Virgo venuses don't want superficial love or situationships, nope. They want a serious commitment, they are similar to capricorn venuses in the sense of valuing their time, they are not going to waste it on just anyone. They are the type of people to put a blanket on you if you're cold but they won't say anything ahaha. They usually express their love practically, doing little things or being there when you need them. Support and service basically. Virgo venuses can feel a bit cringe displaying dramatic expressions of love so they won't. But you'll know if they like you. They are all about investing in the relationship in order to strengthen the connection. These people go out of their way to be there for their partner. Oh you had a bad day? Okay they’ll drop off a coffee during your lunch break. Like practical yet such thoughtful expressions of love. Virgo venuses are a little bit sensitive to criticism so be nice when addressing issues. Virgo venuses want a partner they can do everyday things with. Shopping, chores etc.

libra venus

The romanticist

Libra venuses are known to be very sensual. Libra venuses want passionate love, they're the type of people to watch movies and yearn for it. Libra venuses value reassurance, tell them why you're dating them or why you like them. It's necessary for them to be confident in relationships. An unhealthy libra venus is demanding in terms of how much reassurance they need at the expense of their partner, whereas a healthy libra venus will be aware of their worth and won't allow their insecurities to be an obstacle within their friendships and relationships. What are libra venuses attracted to? They love people who have a cohesive appearance, great style etc. Libra venuses need to be attracted to their partner's appearance. This isn’t a bad thing btw just an observation. Libra venus likes being spoiled and they’ll do the same for sure. Libra venuses are the type to imagine romantic scenarios before bed ahaha. They most likely have some of love playlist. Yep i’m telling on you ahaha. Such romantics. They want romanceeee. You can’t attract a libra venus if you aren’t romantic. They like to be romanced and swept off their feet. Picnics under the stars and poetry. This sort of vibe. They usually have an idealistic view of love and they usually always have an idea of who they want. They have an ideal partner and they’re on a constant lookout for them.

scorpio venus

The intense lover

I'm obsessed with scorpio venuses. Oh yes i am and i'm not ashamed about it. Scorpio venuses are delectable. Honestly. Anyway what are scorpio venuses about and what are they attracted to? Scorpio venuses are the most mysterious venus sign. You'll never quite know what their angle is and what they're after. They keep their cards close to their chest. An unhealthy scorpio venus is a bit calculated within their approach, hence why they can be known to test the limits of love interests to gauge their personality. A healthy scorpio venus will allow themselves to be vulnerable in order to really get to know a potential lover rather than scheme or calculate does this make sense? Scorpio venuses really struggle with vulnerability. Scorpio venuses have dealt with some sort of heartbreak or a damaging experience in the past and it's basically made them really reserved in regard to any aspect of expressing vulnerability. This is something they have to learn. Anyway onto my next point. Scorpio venuses are INTENSE, so fucking intense. If you have unlocked this aspect of a scorpio venus count yourself lucky honestly it's really rare. Scorpio venuses won't be overt at first. They like to figure out what makes you tick. What drives you? What do you do? Why are they attracted to you? What about you makes them curious? They basically study whoever they want. They are attracted to mystery, an outcast in society, someone with an edge etc. The scorpio venuses case studies i've done have displayed a correlation, these people are really seductive and they always have admirers. They're the person you're questioning yourself about, why am i so drawn to them?. They have an undoubtable allure. And it’s like this tangible, almost engulfing aura. It’s almost like scorpio venuses can manipulate energies, natural alchemy where they’re able to attract anyone they want. Scorpio venuses are loyal to the point of complete absorption. They don’t just want love, they want merging. They won’t accept any less. Scorpio venuses are usually picky too, because they’re aware not everyone is able to handle their energy. They tend to be possessive and healthy scorpio venus doesn’t allow this to stem from insecurity because they understand love requires a certain amount of risk.

sag venus

The spontaneous lover

My wanderers. Sag venuses are so fun. If there's anything a sag venus hates it's restriction. Their worst nightmare is a partner who doesn't want them to have other friends or an overly clingy partner. They hate it. If you really want to attract a sag venus, be spontaneous!! They don't tend to like routine or predictability. Surprise them, it will intrigue them. Sag venuses are all about passion and having new experiences in friendships and relationships. Sag venuses have a bit of player reputation in the astro community and i think it's because of their experimental nature. Of course it depends on the chart, but sag venuses need the excitement. An unhealthy sag venus is avoidant and doesn't emotionally bond in relationships because it requires an element of permanence. Sag venuses don't like to feel stuck. A healthy sag venus understands love doesn't have to be restricting and will not see emotional vulnerability as a cage. What do sag venuses want? Spontaneity and passion. They're capable of being loyal but it requires a partner who can keep up with them. They can be a little impulsive in love and this sometimes gets them in trouble ahaha. They’re the type to come home with overnight plane tickets. They’re a do it now, think later sort of lover. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’re reckless, a healthy sag venus is able to withhold this energy to be spontaneous and exciting rather than self destructive. If you want fun and adventure these are your people.

cap venus

The serious lover

Another impeccable venus sign in my opinion. I love these people. I don't think there's a completely accurate grasp on who cap venuses are and what they want in a relationship, because they are quite misunderstood imo. Capricorn venuses need stability. They cannot be in a relationship with someone who isn't clear about their intentions. It's not about them being stuck up, it's about them needing the safety of stability. Cap venuses are definitely closed off and like scorpio venuses it takes time for them to be vulnerable. They really don't like it. How can you attract a cap venus? Be serious, honest, loyal and make sure they are in your plans. Cap venuses are about the future. They don't like situationships or messy situations. They don't have the time to mess around with unserious people. So once they express interest, and you have the conversation regarding your intentions make sure to mention how you see a future with them. They love this. Capricorn venuses are intense about commitment, it's for life or they don't want it ahaha. An unhealthy cap venus is suspicious about people, whereas a healthy cap venus is able to put themselves out there for the sake of developing a relationship. They will spoil the fuck out of people they love. You’ll know a cap venus likes you when they make time for you. They’ll allow you in their inner world. You might have to get past security and steel walls but it’s worth it ahaha.

aquarius venus

The ecclectic lover

This is definitely a more complex venus sign, and to be honest it took me a while to figure out my aqua venus friend. She confused me at first. But anyway i've got personal experience so i'll include some insight regarding what an aqua venus is like. Aquarius venuses are complex in love. They sometimes struggle to figure out what they want and this can make them seem quite aloof or perhaps even uninterested. An aqua venus wants a partner who is not close minded, oh my gosh these people don't like people who are rigid. They don’t tend to have a solid idea of what they want, they like who they like. They're not the type of people to have a list of preferences. They're receptive to experiencing the opposite of their past experiences. Aqua venuses don't like talking about emotions. This doesn't mean they don't care, they just need time. The worst thing you can do is approach an aqua venus with intensity and instant commitment. Like let's do it! You'll instantly put them off. Aqua venuses need privacy and space. Their worst idea of a partner would be someone who sees them as an extension of them. Aqua venuses need their individuality to be truly present in a relationship or friendship. You know an aqua venus really likes you or values you when they're vulnerable or they communicate in a raw way explaining why they do certain things or say certain things. It's hard to explain but if you know you know. They love creative people or people who aren't afraid to express their authentic self. Be yourself!! And bonus points if you have an odd hobby or you do something out of the ordinary.

pisces venus

the dreamy lover

Pisces venus have such an interesting reputation. Pisces venuses find themselves frequently caught in limerence. They are the type of people to see a stranger on the train and imagine their life together ahaha. Pisces venus are some of the best lovers. They are in deep, you can really feel their depth. It's like a dream almost. They have a very neptunian quality about them. They are the types of lovers to make your dreams a reality. You never have to be worried about being weird around them, they want to see who you are beyond the facade. This is where the neptunian energy is at play. They are all about uncovering the mask of people they meet. Show them what you won't allow anyone else to see, that's how you attract a pisces venus. They want to feel safe and they want the fairytale sort of love. They aren't particularly interested in the practicality of it because pisces venus will go to any lengths when they love someone. An unhealthy pisces venus is self sacrificing, almost like a martyr in love. Whereas a healthy pisces venus allows a natural union not allowing their partner to feed off of them. These are the types of people to meet in astral travel, like hey🙂 ahaha. They can be intense in the sense of wanting to know your secrets, your true self. Pisces venus will love you like you never have been before. Pisces venus needs a romantic and engulfing lover. They are unbelievably deep lovers. Oof their love is so Shakespearian.